Sound Bite’s best recipes of the month

Ingredients

375g unsalted butter or baking margarine

375g caster sugar

6 medium eggs

375g self-raising flour

Teaspoon vanilla

Butter Cream3 x 250g unsalted butter

1050g icing sugar

Teaspoon good vanilla extract Filling

Raspberry jam

Fresh raspberries

Oven preheated to170 Method:To prepare, get all your ingredients out and weigh them out. Break the eggs into a jug.Grease and line 3 x 8” sandwich tin with greaseproof paper.Beat the butter and sugar together until the colour is lighter and looks fluffy.

This will take about 3 to 5 mins depending on the mixer.Add in the eggs one at a time with a spoon of the flour and remember not to add the next egg till the last one is all mixed in. Don’t panic if it splits, just add a little more flour.

Add in the flour and mix till smooth, then divide the mixture between two tins and smooth it out.Bake for 20-25 mins or until a skewer comes out clean (time may varydepending on your oven).

Let the cakes cool slightly before turningout of their tins to cool to room temperature.For your buttercream, soften the butter in short bursts in the microwave untilreally soft.Beat the butter and vanilla extract untill really smooth,then add in the icing sugar and mix again.

Fill a piping bag with your buttercream and when the cake is cool, take the first layer and place it flat side down. Don’t overfill your piping bags with buttercream or it will just squidge out everywhere! To start, pipe a dam of buttercream around the edge (worry about being neat as no-one will see it!)

Pipe more in the centre, but just enough for a thin layer. Top this layer with raspberry jam and fresh raspberries. Repeat with the next layer then top with the final cake (flat side up)and then apply a crumb coat (very thin base layer of icing to set the cake and trap the crumbs so the final layer is neat!)Pop in the fridge until this layer is set firm, then repeat with the final layer of icing.

Top with fresh raspberries,dots of jam and piped swirls if you’re feeling fancy!

Scallops with charred spring onion, leek puree and onion broth

Situated on the banks of the Union Canal in Ratho, just seven miles west of Edinburgh, The Bridge Inn is a community pub with rooms at the heart of the village

Serves 3

Ingredients

For the pickled onions 450g lager

50 g honey

50g white wine vinegar1 sprig of fresh thyme 2 juniper berries crushed 1000g of button onions, small, peeled and soaked in water for 24 hours

For the onion stock 50g of olive oil 500g of onion, finely sliced 1.5l brown chicken stock 500g dash

For Spring onion Puree350g of spring onion 350g of spring onion 

40g of unsalted butter2g of xanthan gum4 baby leeks salt and pepper 6 hand dived scallops, extra large

Method

The pickled onions will need to be made a week in advance.

Place all the ingredients apart from the onions into a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Pack the onions into a jar and pour over the pickling juices. Seal the jars, allow to cool, then store in a cool place for a week. For the onion stock, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and stir. Cover and cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions have become translucent.

The cook uncovered until onions are a lovely deep golden-brown colour.

Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil, then reduce and simmer for 50 minutes. Strain into another pan and add the dashi, before bringing to the boil and simmering for 5-10 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool. If the stock is watery, place back on the heat and slowly reduce without boiling. Set aside until serving. For the puree, bring a small saucepan to the boil, slice spring onion tops and blanch in water for 10 seconds then drain. Remove the tops of the baby leeks and set aside the rest of the leek to be griddled.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the leek tops and spring onions until tender then refreshes in cold water. Place the spring onion and leeks into a blender. Add the butter and blitz into a smooth puree, add xanthan gum, blitz again and season before passing through a sieve.

Brush the stalks of the baby leeks with oil and place on a hot griddle pan until charred. Keep warm until ready to serve with butter and seasoning.

Remove the scallop skirts and orange roe. Cut each scallop in half and place on a damp cloth on a tray. Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan.

Once hot, place 12g of olive oil in the pan followed by half the scallops, cook for 30 seconds, add 12g of butter and cook for a further 30 seconds –1 minute. Turn and cook for approx. 1 minute, remove and set aside. Repeat for the other scallops.

For plating, reheat the onion stock without allowing to boil. Plate the scallops, charred baby leeks, a sprinkle of onion seeds and flaky sea salt. Dot the puree around the plate, pour over some onion stock and serve immediately.